Fireworks
by CookieCutterWorld
Summary: A Fireworks Show takes place on Rangiku's birthday but when nobody was available to watch it with her, an unexpected companion takes her to see it.
1. Chapter 1: Plans

**Fireworks  
>By: The Cookie Cutter World<br>**

**Chapter 1: Plans**

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><p>When Rangiku Matsumoto heard about the Fireworks Show that would be held on the evening of her birthday, she could not help but squeal in delight as she jumped up and down in excitement. The Fireworks Show is often sponsored by the noble Shinigami and held every 12 years. She loved fireworks and she had always been fascinated by those because of the colorful display of exploding lights in the dark, evening sky.<p>

She was not able to watch the show 12 years ago because she forgot about it and slept through the entire evening after completing a difficult mission for her captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya. She could not help but be excited for the upcoming Fireworks Show, which would be held two days from the day she first heard about it. Rangiku immediately raved about it during the Shinigami Women's Association meeting and invited the other members to come watch the fireworks with her.

"But, Rangiku-san, aren't all squads assigned to clear out their storage houses so they can be cleaned?" Momo Hinamori asked. Rangiku observed the drowsy look on the young girl's face and the redness of her nose. "Are you alright?" she could not help but ask in concern. Momo just smiled weakly and sniffed a little. "It's just a little cold. No biggie." she said reassuringly.

Rangiku turned to Yachiru when the young Vice Captain asked, "They scheduled the Fireworks Show on your birthday?"

"It's just a coincidence," Nanao Ise pointed out. Rangiku rolled her eyes and flipped her hair. "Even so, I'm happy that it's going to be on my birthday, which is in three days! And I'd like to watch the show with friends so I hope any of you could go with me." she said.

Yachiru cheered. "Okay! I'll ask Ken-chan if I could go and I'll drag him with me!" she said happily.

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><p>After the meeting, Rangiku rushed over to the Third Squad headquarters and frantically searched for Gin, her long-time friend. When she did arrive at his supposed office, Kira Izuru, his Vice-Captain was the only one there. Kira was surprised to see Rangiku who just barged inside the office of his Captain as he was sorting a few old papers. "Matsumoto-san, you surprised me!" he expressed weakly.<p>

Rangiku looked around and pouted. "Where is Gin?"

"Captain Ichimaru is out. He's assigned to do some rounds somewhere. He did not actually specify because he was in a hurry to leave with Captain Kyoraku and Captain Komamura."

"Aww," Rangiku let out a moan of annoyance and sulked for a few moments before she regained her composure and approached Kira instead. "Say, there's a Fireworks Show on my birthday, so instead of the usual drinking, eating and partying when the sun goes down, why don't we go there first and watch it?" she suggested.

Kira blinked. "A Fireworks Show?" he asked.

"Yes! It only happens every 12 years, so it's really a must-see event." she explained.

"Don't they require an entrance fee there? I heard it's really expensive and only the nobles and the Captains can afford to get entrance passes there." Kira said.

Rangiku was taken aback with what she heard. "Really? It has an entrance fee?" she asked.

Kira thought for a while before he suggested, "But it's free if we watch from afar. We could go up the roof and watch the fireworks there instead." Her eyes lit up in glee when she heard that. She placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed them firmly, "Kira, that is a good idea, but I think I'm going to ask my Captain first if he could get me some passes since it's my birthday anyway!" and then she immediately rushed out of the room to run back to the Tenth Squad. As she continued to run and turned to a sharp corner, she bumped against a tall man. When her chest hit the man's body, she winced in slight pain as she bounced backward, but before she could completely fall, she felt a pair of strong hands grasp her arms to help her maintain her balance. "Watch out!" she heard him say. He spoke with a very low and smooth voice and that was enough for her to realize who it was.

She laughed nervously as she blushed. "I'm sorry, Captain Aizen. I wasn't looking where I was going." she apologized as he helped her stand up properly again before he let her go.

"It's alright." he told her reassuringly. Although he could not shake the thought that her breasts actually touched him when she crashed against him. He resisted he urge to look at her chest and acted like he was not bothered at all. "You seem to be in a hurry. What's the rush?" he asked in an effort to make small talk so he could divert his attention to something else.

"It's my birthday in 2 days and the Fireworks Show is taking place on that day, too! I was about to ask Gin if he could come with me but he's not around, and Kira told me that an entrance fee is required for that event and that only the rich and the Captains could afford that. So, I'm going to ask my Captain if he could just give me passes for that event as his birthday gift for me!"

Sosuke Aizen pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose because they started to slip. "I see. Well then, good luck with that." was all he said.

And then there was awkward silence.

Rangiku cleared her throat and smiled. "What about you, Captain Aizen. Where are you going? Your barracks doesn't seem to be where I just came from." she teased.

He smiled at the way she would sound so casual whenever she would talk to him and other higher-ranking officials of the Gotei 13. "I was supposed to go to Gin but like you said, he's not there. So, I guess I'll just go back to my own barracks." he explained.

Rangiku nodded. "I see. Well then, I'll just... go ahead?" and she bowed to show her respect. "Excuse me!" and then she took off.

Aizen watched quietly as she ran away until she disappeared when she turned into another corner.


	2. Chapter 2: Worst Birthday Ever?

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 2: Worst Birthday Ever?**

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><p>When Rangiku arrived at the Tenth Squad, Hitsugaya was in the storage room, directing the other subordinates on what they should do with things that are not needed anymore. "Captain!" she called out in a sing-song voice, which interrupted Hitsugaya. The young Captain turned his attention to her with a look of annoyance in his face. "Oh, there you are. Where have you been? You were supposed to be back several minutes ago!" he told her.<p>

She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the storage room. "Captain, it's my birthday in two days and..."

"I don't care if it's your birthday in two days! You have to be here and help out in clearing out this dump or else we'll get penalized!"

She gazed at him in surprise. "You don't care about my birthday?" she asked.

"No, and if you're planning to go somewhere and bail out on this task, you won't be allowed to go on leave for the rest of the year." he said gruffly as he crossed his arms. "Now go to my office and sort out the papers that have been there for five months." he commanded before he left to go back inside the storage room.

Rangiku breathed in and sighed heavily as she made her way back inside the barracks. "Darn it. Why did Captain Yamamoto have to give that order anyway? It's not even time for spring cleaning!" she mumbled in annoyance. She thought it would be useless to find Hisagi or Renji already to invite them to watch the fireworks with her because she knew they would be tied down to their own squads for the mandatory task of cleaning their respective barracks' storage areas.

"Looks like this is going to be one of the worst birthdays ever." she thought sadly.

Later that afternoon, she even received a personal note from Yachiru and the little girl apologized for not being able to go to the Fireworks Show with her because she had to help in cleaning her squad's storage house. Rangiku randomly folded the note and begrudgingly continued to sort the documents that Hitsugaya wanted her to sort out. She was interrupted when somebody knocked on the door. "Yeah?" she called out lazily.

The door slid open and when she lifted her gaze, she saw Fifth Squad's Captain Sosuke Aizen. She wondered what he wanted but then she noticed that he held a pile of papers and they looked heavy. She felt the blood drain from her face when she saw the papers. "Where is Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked her.

She made a disgusted face. "Somewhere outside and scolding his other subordinates. What's up?" she asked casually.

He easily noticed the annoyed look and tone of the Vice-Captain but he just smiled at her. "These papers are his, actually. Old reports." and he walked over to her so he could place the pile of papers on top of the desk, which was already filled with other piles of paper.

"You're brought those personally here? You could've asked someone else to do it for you." she told him.

"I wanted to take a walk so I did it myself. Besides, can't I say '_hello_' personally to Squad 10's Vice-Captain?" he asked. Rangiku had a glum look on her face as she stared at the way he smiled at her. He looked like a charming nerd, and she was not really the type to pay attention to nerdy men but something about Aizen made her think twice about him. But when she did not react to what he said, he just cleared his throat and awkwardly raked his fingers through his hair. "Well then, I should be going. Please say my regards to Captain Hitsugaya." with that, he excused himself and left without looking back at her.

Rangiku did not mind and she just continued to sort the papers in silence.


	3. Chapter 3: Surprise

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 3: Surprise**

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><p>Her birthday finally came and when she woke up, she did not feel like celebrating at all. The cleaning immediately began as soon as the clock struck 9:00 in the morning and the only individuals who greeted her first were her Captain's other subordinates and other members of the Tenth Squad. She continued to help and give directions to the other Tenth Squad members without realizing that her Captain was missing. She only discovered that Hitsugaya was not around when she overheard two Tenth Squad members talking about Vice-Captain Momo Hinamori being sick with the flu and their Captain was the one who volunteered to take care of her and even brought her to their barracks so he could personally attend to her.<p>

"What?" Rangiku asked.

The two men looked at her curiously.

"Is that true?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. Vice-Captain Hinamori is currently staying in one of the guest quarters. She was taken here only last night."

"She said she did not want to bother Captain Aizen so she decided to come here instead and recuperate under Captain Hitsugaya's care. Anyway, he agreed."

Rangiku took a deep breath and turned away. "Okay." she said simply as she examined the pile of junk inside the storage room that had not been cleared or sorted out yet. "And looks like this is going to be a long day and a long night." she mumbled.

The members of the Tenth Squad continued to work throughout the day and they only stopped for their lunch break. Rangiku felt bothered when the sun started to set and she has not even seen any one of her closest friends so they could greet her and maybe celebrate with them even for a bit. However, only half of the junk inside the storage room has been cleared and sorted. She realized it would take three more days to complete the task of cleaning that oversized storage room. It did not help that even the things of the previous Captains and Vice-Captains of the Tenth Squad were dumped there.

When it was time for dinner, Rangiku immediately stepped out of the storage room and annoyingly made her way to the washroom. She thoroughly cleaned her hands and washed her face as she thought of trying to escape or maybe climb up the roof when nobody is looking so she could see the fireworks. However, the threat of Hitsugaya finding out about her sudden absence made her feel restless. She did not want to let go of her remaining leave credits. She felt so annoyed and helpless at the circumstances that she wanted to cry. Tears began to sting her eyes but she tried her best not to let them fall. On her way out of the washroom, she wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her shihakusho, which obstructed her vision.

And she bumped against someone again when she turned to the corner. "Ah!" she cried out in surprise as she lost her balance, but before she could fall backward, a familiar strong grip caught her by her arms and held her firmly in place. She gazed in awe at the man who held her. "Captain Aizen!" she exclaimed.

He chuckled. "Oh, it's you again." he told her.

She felt embarrassed because it happened again. "Great. He must think I'm stupid and that I'm a klutz." she thought in annoyance, but all she could do is smile sheepishly at him as she laughed awkwardly, "I'm... yeah. It's me again! Ha, ha."

Aizen gazed curiously into her eyes. "You've been crying?" he asked.

She wondered why sometimes, she wanted to cry more each time somebody would ask if she had been crying or if she was okay whenever she felt really, really miserable. She sniffed and faked a cheerful smile. "No. It's just the dust from all the cleaning. But I'm okay now. I just washed my face." but he clearly heard her voice shake as she spoke. Still, she pretended to be okay and maintained a cheerful façade. "And what brings you here, Captain Aizen? Visiting Momo?" she asked.

He smiled awkwardly at her. "Actually, I came here to greet you a happy birthday," he began.

She froze as she felt her heart jump when she heard that. "Am I hearing things?" she wondered quietly as she stared at him in awe.

"And that I'd like to invite you to watch the fireworks with me." He told her.

She thought that all her blood rushed to her head because her ears suddenly felt very hot and the sensation spread throughout her entire face and neck until she realized that she had been blushing already. She saw the amused expression on the Captain's face as he watched her turn red. "Are you okay? Don't tell me you have a fever now," he said playfully.

She laughed awkwardly as she shook her head quickly. "No, no. I'm okay, Captain Aizen. I'm... just..." she trailed off as she suddenly felt happy. She squealed in delight as she jumped up and down, which made her breasts bounce and made him stare. He quickly looked away when he realized what he had been doing before she could catch him. "Hush, Rangiku. You don't want Captain Hitsugaya to hear you." he told her uncomfortably.

She stopped jumping and tried to compose herself. "Huh?" she asked. And then she remembered the mandatory task of cleaning the storage warehouses and rooms. "Oh, I see," she looked at him devilishly and winked as she moved closer to nudge him. "You're bailing out of the cleaning?"

"No, but Fifth Squad is finished for the day." he told her.

She looked at him unbelievably and pouted. "You know, I wish I worked for you because you're so lenient. But I wouldn't fit in because the others think that it's a Squad for intelligent people." she said. Aizen was not sure if she was being sarcastic or not, but he just smiled and said, "You could be my Vice-Captain tonight. Now, let's go." and he reached out his hand to her. She stared at his hand which gripped her arm earlier to prevent her from falling, and she realized how big his hands were and how slender his fingers looked. She shyly placed her hand on his and he grasped it gently but firmly. With that, the two of them walked hand-in-hand, but he led most of the way. "Do you treat your Vice-Captain this way? Because if you do, I'd be really, really jealous and I might request for a transfer to your squad." she said in a half-teasing manner.

"No. This is actually the first time I treated my Vice-Captain this way." he replied. What he said made her blush, but she did not really know how to react to what he said. She just let him lead the way out of Squad Ten's barracks but she became hesitant when they passed by a three of the squad's low-ranking members who were chatting casually by the gate while eating Onigiri. The three men stared unbelievably at the two.

Rangiku awkwardly tried to break free from Aizen's grasp, but before she could do or say anything, he spoke to the three men confidently, "Since my Vice-Captain is with your Captain, tell him that I'm borrowing his Vice-Captain for a while. Do you understand?"

The three men awkwardly smiled and looked at the way he held their Vice-Captain's hand. "Yes, Captain Aizen." they replied, although not in unison.

"Good." Aizen said gruffly before he pulled Rangiku with him so they could finally exit Squad Ten's barracks.

Rangiku could not believe the things happening to her at that moment, but she knew she was not dreaming. She just kept quiet as he led the way to the Fifth Squad's barracks.

"...Wait. Fifth Squad?" she thought. "Captain Aizen," she began.

"Yes?" he asked as he continued to drag her with him inside his barracks.

"Why are we here?" she asked.

Aizen led the way to the roof and when they got there, he finally explained with a charming grin which made her stare at him in discreet admiration. "You see, I don't really have passes because they were too expensive for me to afford right now, so I thought we could just watch the fireworks from here."

There was something about his words which made her want to go, "Aaww," because it triggered a tender emotion in her. Sympathy, perhaps? Or she just found him to be simply adorable-like a cute puppy with nothing to give its owner but its love and devotion.

Rangiku felt her cheeks get warmer again despite presence of a cool evening breeze. Somehow, she felt content. "It's okay." she replied. She knew deep inside that all she wanted was someone to be with her on her birthday. She expected her friends to be with her, but when they were not available, the most unexpected individual decided to be with her instead.

He let out a sigh of relief, "Alright, then make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back." he said before suddenly disappearing, leaving Rangiku alone on the cold rooftop. She gazed up at the sky and realized that there were plenty of stars that night but no visible moon. She carefully sat down and continued to observe the night sky until Aizen returned with a pair of red scarves. "Here," he handed one to her. "It's a cold night." he told her.

She thanked him as she took the scarf and wrapped it around her neck. Aizen sat down some 5 inches away from her and once he got settled, there was the awkward silence again.

"So, how old are you?" he asked. The question was meant to be serious but she took it as a joke. She laughed and replied, "I won't tell you."

"Well, sorry if I offended you." he said with a guilty tone.

"No, no, it's nothing." she said reassuringly. She felt a little silly for misinterpreting his question but she immediately dismissed it when the first spark from a firework distracted them. Soon, the night sky was filled with colorful fireworks. He sneaked a few discreet glances at her so he could observe the amused expression on her face and the happiness in her eyes.

Some 20 minutes later, while the fireworks show continued, she was finally able to contain her excitement and relaxed a little. She breathed in the cool evening air and exhaled carefully. "Just when I thought this would be the worst birthday ever, you just made it better so," she looked at him, "thank you."

Aizen easily detected the sincerity in her tone and he smiled back at her. "You're welcome." he said.

They shifted their attention back to the fireworks and after a few moments of silence, she spoke up again without looking at him, "Captain Aizen,"

"Hmm?" he responded mindlessly.

Rangiku did not know how to phrase her question properly without sounding awkward. She wanted to ask why he did that for her, but she felt embarrassed and nervous so she just decided against it. She shook her head and just tossed a lock of her hair off her left shoulder. "Nothing. I forgot." she fibbed.

He knew that was a lie but he could not find the right words to probe her further. The two of them just sat in silence throughout the rest of the show.


	4. Chapter 4: Alone

**Fireworks**

**Chapter 4: Alone**

The Fireworks Show ended around 10:00 in the evening and as they got down, Aizen helped Rangiku get off the roof. "Perhaps you'd like to stay for some tea and cookies. I failed to offer you some food while we were watching the show, and I know you haven't had your dinner yet." he told her.

She thought for a while and then smiled. "Actually, I was thinking of going out for some late night drinks, but okay, I'll take your offer." she said.

He nodded and led the way inside the second floor of his barracks. Rangiku followed after him. "That show was awesome! I can't wait for the next one! And I hope by then, I'd be rich so I could afford passes." she said. "Hey, maybe we could go and watch the show together again!"

"Sure," he responded simply with that ever-charming smile on his face. Rangiku began to wonder if he was the type of man charm his way to someone's heart with his geeky charm and handsome smile. Maybe those are the reasons why he is well-liked by his subordinates as well as his students at Shinou Academy. As for her, she could not help but feel charmed by his actions as well, but she decided to keep those things to herself.

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><p>The two of them shared a late snack together in silence and at times, they would be interrupted when some of Aizen's subordinates would pass by the dining area and would be surprised with Rangiku's presence there. Those witnesses would eventually end up gossiping about the two of them.<p>

Or maybe not. "It's her birthday and we're having a small party here. You could join if you want to." Aizen said. His tone seemed to make a silent threat that if they gossiped or had malicious thoughts about them, he would take immediate action by punishing or firing those concerned. The subordinates immediately understood what he meant but they refused his offer to join him. After all, part of his tone indicated that they should just go away and pretend they did not see anything.

As soon as the subordinates left, Rangiku turned to Aizen, "Captain Aizen, I couldn't thank you enough for this. I don't know how to properly express gratitude, but perhaps I could just pay you back on your birthday?"

"No need to, Rangiku." he said.

"I insist. I'll treat you to lunch or something... or maybe a few drinks? Next year?" she asked.

He thought for a few moments in silence and then he shrugged. He smiled that charming smile of his again. "Why not? Next year, then. The two of us. Just like this."

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><p>But there were no celebrations next year because of the sudden spur of events that happened. Sosuke Aizen had betrayed Soul Society together with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tousen, and their small group left for Hueco Mundo.<p>

Fast forward several years later when the next Fireworks Show would take place. Soul Society was not exactly in peace but Sosuke Aizen was captured and imprisoned, Gin is presumed dead and Kaname Tousen died during the battle at Karakura Town.

When Rangiku saw the announcement for the Fireworks Show that was posted on the bulletin board outside her Captain's office, she just stared blankly at it. Her gaze drifted to the date: May 29.

Sosuke Aizen's birthday.

She remembered that it was May 29 already but nobody seemed to have remembered his birthday. Then again, who would want to remember or celebrate the birthday of someone like him?

That night, she watched the fireworks alone on the rooftop of the Fifth Squad's barracks on the spot where she Aizen sat several years ago and after the show, she went back to Tenth Squad's barracks and ate a few cookies with a cup of tea.

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><p><strong>-End-<strong>

_Author's Note_: This is supposed to be a one-shot but I decided to divide it into chapters so it would not be long and grueling to read. I guess AizenxRangiku is my favorite crack pairing. There is just something about those two.


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